page_title: Nord-Pas-de-Calais
section_title: Major communities
hierarchical_section_title: Nord-Pas-de-Calais / Major communities
caption_attribution_description: English: Aerial view of Lille, France. Français&#160;: Vue aérienne de Lille, France. Photographie prise à partir du 15ème étage de la cité administrative.
context_page_description: Nord-Pas-de-Calais is a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Hauts-de-France. It consisted of the departments of Nord and Pas-de-Calais. Nord-Pas-de-Calais borders the English Channel, the North Sea, Belgium and Picardy. The majority of the region was once part of the historical Netherlands, but gradually became part of France between 1477 and 1678, particularly during the reign of king Louis XIV. The historical French provinces that preceded Nord-Pas-de-Calais are Artois, French Flanders, French Hainaut and Picardy. These provincial designations are still frequently used by the inhabitants.
  With its 330.8 people per km² on just over 12,414 km², it is a densely populated region, having some 4.1 million inhabitants, 7% of France's total population, making it the fourth most populous region in the country, 83% of whom live in urban communities. Its administrative centre and largest city is Lille.
context_section_description: Lille and surrounding area is home to over 1.5 million inhabitants.
  Arras
  Boulogne
  Calais
  Cambrai
  Douai
  Dunkirk
  Lens
  Liévin
  Marcq-en-Barœul
  Maubeuge
  Roubaix
  Saint-Omer
  Tourcoing
  Valenciennes
  Villeneuve d'Ascq
  Wattrelos
caption: Lille, the largest city in Nord-Pas-de-Calais
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